MM Chapter 08: Professional Communication

Only rarely do people want someone else to solve their problems for them. Usually, people just want someone else to listen while they talk through their problems to arrive at a solution.  Problem-solvers block communication and may send others a message that they don’t have the experience, knowledge, or understanding to work it out on […]

It is often difficult for people to converse without taking a side on issues being discussed. This need to approve or disapprove, agree or disagree, becomes a barrier to exchanging ideas. Imagine three massage therapists at a massage clinic talking on their lunch break. One says, “Energetic bodywork is really cool. I went to a

All of us have individual needs, values, beliefs, attitudes, assumptions, and experiences that become a filter for how we view the world, listen to others, communicate ideas, or feel in certain situations (Fig. 8-5). Words that excite little emotional response from one person may be charged with particular meaning for another. Situations that make one

Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers developed a personality test that identifies four primary ways in which people vary (Fig. 8-4): People get energy, take in information, make decisions, and organize their worlds differently. They called these differences “preferences” to indicate that all people have access to different ways of relating but

People take in and process information in various ways (Fig. 8-3). Some people are visual and like to see information; others are auditory and like to hear information; others are kinesthetic and like to work through information. Massage therapists must understand how to engage these three types of learners to ensure that all clients feel

People learn methods for relating to other people from early caregivers like parents and teachers. They also demonstrate preferences for how they learn new information, generate energy, and order their world. An awareness of these different styles helps therapists understand differences in their clients, adapt their communication style, and practice tolerance for others. Relating Styles

In Chapter 7, you learned about boundaries and personal space. A quick review here might be helpful. Boundaries involve conscious and subconscious imaginary lines that mark the limits of an individual’s personal space or territory. Boundaries create a border between a person and other people and between a person and the environment. Boundaries can take